


First Priority

by UlisaBarbic



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Confused Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Dad Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gohan is a Daddy’s boy, Gohan loves his father, Goku loves his family, Goku returns after Cell, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22432477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlisaBarbic/pseuds/UlisaBarbic
Summary: A one shot prequel to my "Sentiment Born of Love" story. Goku's death against Cell has left his family in shambles and Goku has to make a decision on where his priorities lie: with earth or with his family.
Relationships: Chi-Chi/Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 59





	First Priority

First Priority

_DBZ characters are copyrighted to Akira Toriyama and used strictly for the enjoyment of fans. This story is one shot prequel to my "Sentiment Born of Love" story. In which we learn WHY the timeline shifted._

"Don't wish you back?"

The sharpness and pain in Gohan's voice was tactile, it cut like broken glass. Despite the strength in that boy, in the hero that had delivered them from Cell, he was suddenly a frightened child again. "Daddy, what are you talking about?! We HAVE to wish you back."

" _No, Gohan_." Goku's voice was gentle but firm. " _I've been thinking about this for a while. Bulma told me a long time ago that I seemed to be a magnet for trouble and maybe she's right_."

"No!" Gohan protested mightily, hands fisted at his sides. "No, she's not right! That isn't true! We still need you, Daddy. _I_ still need you!"

" _Gohan. Listen. The world is at peace now and look how strong you are. Look how strong you've become. There's nothing you can't handle now. You're better than me-_ "

"I. DON'T. CARE!" Gohan's voice was all but cracking. "I don't care! I still need you here! Mom still needs you here! Please, Daddy, come home!" Falling to his knees, shaking from head to toe, the boy pleaded. "Daddy, please!"

Goku was at an impasse. He had made his decision. He'd been thinking about it and mentally preparing himself if the worst happened and he died. Dying was never fun and having to take out King Kai with him had not been his first choice but it had been his only choice. So, you made due with what you had.

He didn't blame Gohan. The boy had done the best he could. In Goku's mind, he was at fault for not having prepared his son for the overflow of power a transformation could do to you. If he'd had any way of besting Cell himself, he would have. It was a burden Gohan should have never had to bear and the boy had taken it magnificently. Goku would have burst if his body had to physically hold all the pride he had for his son.

But this...hearing his son scream and cry and plead was NOT something Goku had prepared himself for. Oh, he'd thought he had but now that he was faced with it, he felt as prepared as an ant against a dinosaur.

King Kai eyed the Saiyan. He didn't agree with Goku's decision but it was still HIS decision. Maybe the best thing to do was end this. "Goku, I'm not designed to be a telephone. Hurry this up."

"..right. Sorry." Turning his attention back to his son, Goku spoke out again, " _It's not fair for me to take that last wish. Use it to help someone._ " He took a breath. " _I can't keep this up much longer, King Kai and I have to check in with King Yemma. Don't worry about me. We'll be fine and you all just have fun down there, okay?_ "

"Daddy! No, please, please!"

" _I'm so proud of you, Gohan. You take care of your mom—_ "

"DADDY!"

" _See you all when you die_." Goku yanked his hand away from King Kai's back like it was on fire and clutched his head. "Gah!"

The deity frowned at him. "Goku, are you sure?"

"Yes! Yes, I am. I...think about it? All the bad guys we've fought in the past few years came because of me. If I'm not around then maybe my family can live in peace. That's what I want for them."

King Kai frowned. "It's not that simple Goku."

"Sure seems that way." Goku put his hand to his chest, right over where his heart would have been. "That heart virus can't come back now that I don't have a heart, can it?"

"You know what that is." King Kai remarked. "You and your boy are close. You KNOW he's hurting. Maybe your spirit is trying to tell your head something!"

Goku flopped to the ground. "But the dragonballs can't bring me back anyway! And it's not fair—I always got brought back once. It's not fair to do it twice."

"Krillin was revived twice." Came the inevitable answer.

Goku pouted. "Look. You think I don't want to go back? I do! But the Androids, Cell, all of them were because of Doctor Gero and he was after me!"

King Kai folded his arms. "Maybe but you can't base a decision off the choices of a bad man. Doctor Gero was cracked before you attacked the Red Ribbon Army."

Goku gave a shrug. His resolve was weakening but all he could see was ChiChi's face, so full of fear for him and for their son. That uncertainty that woke her up and kept her up at night. His Gohan, waking up in silent screams, the way he would dig his nails into Goku's arm as if trying to anchor to him when he thought no one was watching.

If he could make that stop...regardless of how he felt.

OOO

Gohan had slid to the ground, eyes downcast as the others debated wishes. Even when they finally let Krillin make the decision regarding the Androids and the sky turned bright blue again, he didn't move.

Krillin, despite being deflated from the battle and Android 18's rather callous delivery to his advance, still found himself approaching Gohan and setting his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you gonna be okay, little buddy?"

Gohan was silent, the only sound being his breathing gradually in and out, the labored tone reflective of his outburst. "Am I a bad son, Krillin?"

Maybe he should have expected such a question but it still took him aback. "Wha—of course not, Gohan! You're probably one of the kindest kids I know—"

"And I killed my father."

"Stop that." Krillin's tone was hard. "That wasn't your fault."

"Was too. I messed around, I got cocky and Daddy died to save what I couldn't. I might as well have slit his throat myself. And why else wouldn't he come back? I wouldn't wanna live with my murderer."

"Gohan, you KNOW your dad doesn't think that." Krillin pressed this fact. "I don't know exactly what your dad is thinking but it's nothing to do with not loving you."

"Krillin's right." Yamcha had made his way over to the group and knelt to sit in his knees. "Every time we hang out together, he's always going on and on about you."

Tien joined the small conversation and Bulma followed him over, adjusting Trunks in her arms. "I can agree with that, Gohan. You are always the first thing on your father's mind. It may not seem like it but it is." Turning his face to a frown, the man remarked, "I don't understand this decision of his either but it's nothing to do with how that battle turned out."

Bulma sat on the ground, handing Trunks to a bewildered Yamcha and took Gohan's hands. "They're right, you know. He can't go a conversation without mentioning you at least once. You and your mom. How he fits that many pictures in his wallet is beyond me—"

"Dad carries around pictures of me?"

"Oh, every time he has a chance, he'll show you off—"

Yamcha blanched a bit. "Wait...GOKU has a wallet?"

OOO

"You have a wallet?"

Goku turned and faced King Kai from his position sitting on Snake Way, letting his legs dangle over the edge. He folded the bit of leather shut in his left hand, a handful of pictures in the other before pushing it back into a pocket King Kai had never noticed on his pant leg. Goku found himself both flabbergasted and relieved that his body being regenerated in the Afterlife had included everything he'd had on him.

"Course I do. It's a pain to carry around wads of zeni"

Twitching his antenna, King Kai retorted "And you brought it to the battle?"

Shifting his eyes downcast, Goku settled on what had become one of his favorites as of late—Krillin had snapped one of Gohan half asleep by the river, trailing his fingers in the water when they'd gone on their picnic in the days before the Cell Games. ChiChi's good cooking would do that to you. He always looked so at peace like that.

"I told Gohan once the battle was over, we'd grab ice cream before we went home."

It was funny; he'd said it the night before to ease Gohan's nerves, as if they were going to an unpleasant visit to the doctor or something. Just to make it feel less...tragic. Less intimidating.

It was just going to be a simple thing, a quick stop on the way back. Not even more than a small cone. He had 1200 zennie in his wallet, tucked away for the two of them.

The prospect, now, that Gohan would go home without him and without his ice cream bugged Goku more than he liked.

And he'd have to tell ChiChi.

Goku's heart ached. His wife would pull through he knew but it would crush her when she heard. She would weep and cry and crumble for a time. Gohan would cling to her and comfort her...

But then who would comfort him?

Goku shifted, drummed his fingers on his thigh and sighed.

His thoughts lingered to New Namek.

OOO

"He...didn't want to come back? Why?"

Gohan closed his eyes tight, commanded his tears to stay where they were. Mom didn't need that right now. She'd cry enough for both of them. He didn't need to go into detail. He'd lost his father but she'd lost her husband.

"I...he said that people—bad people—seem to be attracted to him. So he wanted to take himself out of the equation. For us and the world."

"Screw the world!" ChiChi shouted, lifting her fist to the sky. "You hear me, Goku?! Screw the world! You've been savin' and protectin' it all your life! Let the world take care of itself for a bit. WE need you!"

Nothing but that was to be expected.

ChiChi dropped to her knees and Gohan wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Mom. If I'd—"

"No, don't you be sorry about anything, sweetie. Your father can be an idiot sometimes...but that kind heart of his is one reason I love him so much. You got that from him. I just..." Tears in her eyes that she was trying—and failing—to hide from her son choked her voice up somewhat. "Goku, it's okay to be selfish once in a while."

The two of them sat there, silent in their grief. Aside from tears and the sound of choked sobs trying to be restrained in the throat, there was no other sound. The birds still sang outside, the animals ran through the trees and it was a remarkably sunny day. One that would have been perfect for a drive.

That car that sat in the driveway was still new, in need of memories to be bled into its paint. That car that ChiChi had pleaded with Goku to get a license for so that they could be a "normal" family.

She'd gladly cast it into the fire to bring Goku back.

It meant nothing without the memories to make it homey. This house, which Goku had helped build, felt empty and cold without that third member.

A cold mist of sorrow settled over the tiny little house and no amount of pretending would lift it.

OOO

"King Kai."

The deity shifted. The walk down a Snake Way was always a pain and the realization that the other Kais would never let him live this down was making the Lord of Worlds particularly cranky.

"What, home wrecker?"

Goku winced. "I said sorry!" He paused, looked a little like a child caught doing something naughty. "Can...I talk to my son again?"

King Kai turned. "Do I look like a telephone service?"

Goku's eyes shifted to the smaller being's antenna and he began, "Well—"

"DON'T."

Folding his arms in a huff, King Kai considered just saying no. It would be worth it for Goku destroying his house! But, for all his crankiness, he knew this was not all about him. This was centered on Goku and his son and much as the deity didn't WANT to be involved, he currently was.

Gohan had saved them and the brief interaction King Kai has noticed—along with Goku's constant babbling about his kid when he'd first come to train—made him feel as if he did know the child in a certain level. And he could find no fault with him.

"Don't take too long."

OOO

Sitting on the roof of the small house, Gohan set his eyes on the stars. He'd come up here every night since the day he came home. Every day hurt. Every morning hurt. Every meal hurt.

Gohan had already determined that neither Dende nor Piccolo (even with Kami's influence) could reach King Yemma. Maybe that was a good thing. Gohan was quite sure he might render all the karma he'd obtained nil if he had the chance to speak to the Lord of the Dead and demand his father back.

Eyes blurry with tears, Gohan let himself cry.

He knew Mom cried at night. It seemed appropriate. During the day, they went about their activities—she'd even let him go out to train "if you want"—instead of insisting on his studying all day—and pretend. Pretend Dad was gathering wood or visiting friends or pestering Vegeta. Pretend that he was "running late again, he's so bad at that." Mom would make three plates for dinner and wrap up the leftovers "Your father will eat them when he comes home."

At night, reality would crash down and they would weep. Mom would start sniffling as they cleaned up dinner and by the time Gohan took his evening bath, he would be smothering the sound with unnecessary splashes.

It never got easier.

" _Gohan_?"

Jumping a good distance into the air at the sudden voice, Gohan went into a hover, eyes darting left and right. He knew that voice and for a moment, his heart hoped...

Nothing.

Deflating like a burst balloon, Gohan knew that voice though and he knew he wasn't entirely crazy...

"Daddy?"

" _Yep. It's me, Kiddo. King Kai is letting us talk a little more. How are you doing, little man?_ "

How was he doing? He was dying every day. He was telling so many lies to himself, his mother and anyone that asked "are you okay?" or "how are you doing?" that King Yemma would need to rip out more than his tongue when his time came. But Daddy didn't need to hear that. He'd made his decision. It would be selfish to...to...

He couldn't lie to his father.

Gohan wept.

He cried, so loudly that the birds hunting midnight prey scattered. His throat aches from it but he could not stop it.

" _That bad, huh?_ "

Gohan caught his tears. "We MISS you, Daddy! It's not home without you! It doesn't feel right! Nothing feels right! Daddy, please..."

" _Gohan, I've been thinking about what you said. And about your mom and you._ "

Gohan's heart skipped forward. He'd been trying not to hope but telling lies to himself all day was not conductive with that. "Daddy, are you..."

" _Tell me, son. I...I want you to be honest with me. Do you think bad guys came after me? Don't tell me what you want me to hear—_ "

"No. They didn't Daddy. Not really." Gohan sighed, and nearly fell with his concentration not on his flight. It took him a moment to regather himself and he faintly heard " _Whoa! Steady, little man, steady!_ " After settling amid the dark air, he continued. "I only know the stories you told me. But all this trouble came because people are greedy. Because they want to hurt people. You just get roped in because you don't like that. You don't let them keep doing that. You stand up to them! But they...they do it all themselves, not you, Daddy."

Silence and Gohan thought for a moment was alone again. That bone cutting loneliness. "Daddy, please. This isn't fair. Not to you, not to us. If I need to...if I made you angry or—"

" _Aw, little man, don't tell me you've been blaming yourself?!_ "

"Who else can I blame? I failed and you died and you...didn't keep your word."

Goku's voice sounded broken. " _My word?_ "

Nodding, the cold night air cutting his cheeks, Gohan elaborated. "You promised we'd get ice cream afterwards. You promised we'd go fishing. You promised you'd take me on the training trip around the world that you took. We were going to start a farm for Mom so that she didn't have to stress so much. You...gave me your promise. You've never broken a promise before. You told me that you never made a promise you didn't mean." Gohan sank a bit until he sat on the roof of the house again. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

" _No, little man, no. I meant all of that! All of it! I just...things changed and all I want to do is keep you two safe. That's my first priority!_ "

"How can you do that if you're not here?" Gohan's voice held pain, anger but more sadness and deep longing than anything else. His body shook nearly as much as his voice. "Maybe I'm stronger than you...or I can be but I don't know what you know. So much of what you do is because you lived it, Daddy and that's how I'll learn it too! But I don't want to do that without you. We both got stronger together so can't we keep doing that?"

"...Gohan..."

"I know it's selfish of us." The boy expected to care more about that. In the past, he did everything he could to worry about others and care about others. It was important to him. Now though, it paled in comparison. "But why can't we be selfish...just this once?"

It took some time for Goku to respond. " _You make a lot of sense, little man. You've always been good at making me think._ "

"So...?"

" _I don't know, Gohan. I don't want to make any promises._ " Goku sounded tired and worn. " _I want to come home though._ " He meant that. He also spoke truth when he said Gohan made him think. There was a lot to process though. Gohan was right that what they wanted was selfish. A part of Goku pondered if it was even right. When it had been Krillin they'd wanted to revive, he'd not even thought twice about it. Maybe that was wrong too; he'd didn't know. " _I'll see what I can do._ "

Gohan was not exactly relieved but that was better than his father insisting that he had to stay dead. Maybe they'd made so leeway? Maybe there was a chance, even a small one..?

His heart ached with hoping. "...okay, Daddy." He couldn't keep the disappointment, the aching from his voice. He had hoped to hear yes, yes he'd be coming home but maybe that was too much to hope for. After all, they'd been given their share of miracles. His dad had come back once, survived the heart virus...were they out of miracles to cash in?

A soft drop hit his forehead and he glanced up. So focused was he on his father's voice that he hadn't even noticed the dark clouds. One drop became two and then three but he was reluctant to leave.

Was there a chance? Even a small one for his father? After everything his father had done for this world...just one more chance, one more favor. Fairness be damned. Just one more...

He'd surrender all his karma to get one more.

" _Gohan, I can't talk much longer...but you need to get in bed. I know I'm not a good judge of time from here but it's way later than you needa be up._ "

For some reason, that made Gohan smile. It was like Dad was home again, just out of reach, beyond eyeshot, maybe calling to him from the kitchen about stalling. Taking comfort in that fact, the boy slid to a hover and slipped back into his bedroom. " _I...love you, Daddy._ "

He waited a moment or two but didn't hear a response. Well, his father had said he couldn't talk much longer. It really wasn't fair to King Kai he supposed. Gohan pulled the window shut but left the blinds open, crawling into bed. Settling as best he could, he tried to pretend, just a little longer, that Dad was just "away." It was getting harder to lie to himself though.

"Daddy..."

Closing his eyes, he readied himself for the dreams he knew were coming. He tried to focus on the rain, to give all his attention to that sound and smell. Maybe it could block out what always came.

They'd come every night since Cell. His father's farewell, the moment he felt his father's ki shrink and vanish, the pain he could imagine his dad had been out through because of him...

" _Little child, be not afraid; though rain pounds harshly against the glass_

 _Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger; I am here tonight._ "

Gohan's eyes flew open at the warm baritone in his head again. His father's accent always gave such a funny but endearing sound to words especially if they were spoken in rhythm.

And he knew this song. Knew it all too well. Daddy's friends would laugh without stop if they knew he used to sing lullabies but he did. He'd heard Mom doing it and just assumed it was a parent thing.

But as those words echoed in his mind, he remembered all too clearly the times he would fall asleep to that tone. From as young as he could remember, to some cold silent nights in the Time Chamber. He remembered asking Mom why Dad sung that song and not the traditional ones that she preferred. She'd laughed, said to ask Dad.

Well, one night in the three years they'd been training for the Androids, he had and Goku had grinned, said that he'd heard a father singing it to their son during his training trip around the world. He thought it was relevant and liked the sound so he wanted to pass it onto his kids.

It was one of the few things that seemed powerful enough to still those memories of Cell. Hearing his father sing again, about rain and the earth and being close and being brave made those nightmares seem so small and insignificant. It was, for a moment, like his father was there again, occasionally stroking his hair back.

" _And I hope that you'll know. That nature is so. The same rain that draws you near me. Falls on rivers and land. On forests and sand_

 _Makes the beautiful world that you'll see. In the morning._ "

Gohan felt he could see it. Just like it was before the Cell Games. When all they had to worry about was getting home in time for dinner. When they'd take turns trying to catch the "big one." When he'd wake up to his father's loud laughter and the sound of his mother cooking. Nothing glamorous but good. Solid.

_"_ _Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain'll be gone in the morning."_

Gohan drifted off before too long, his mind focused on the words, on the promises that it brought. His father was a man of his word. Surely, surely, there was a way for him to keep those promises he made. He wouldn't have reached out to him if he wasn't, if he wasn't trying..would he?

No. No. There had to be something he could do and—

Sleep won.

_But I'll still be here in the morning_

—-

_But I'll still be here in the morning_

Goku pulled away from King Kai and sank back down to Snake Way. The Lord of Worlds made a large deal of cracking his neck but he said nothing verbally. He just watched Goku.

Again, the Saiyan was just staring at his hands, occasionally looking through those pictures that he refused to put away. After a moment, the deity sat by his side.

"Gohan was just a baby when I first sang that to him." Goku was more talking to himself than anyone but King Kai had enough sense of self to stay silent. "Chubby little thing with red cheeks, a tail that never let go of my wrist and a belly that was never full." A smile now, warm but distant. "Gets that from me, I guess." Rocking back a little, as if trying to center himself, Goku went on. "He was so scared of storms. So scared that the lightning was gonna come get 'em or something. I was like his armor. If he was big enough to and it was stormy, nothing was keepin' him in his room."

Again, King Kai just gave a nod that he was listening.

"I guess...it's so easy to forget with how strong he is, he's still a little bit. No...not that. He'll always be little to me but...I know what he can do even if he doesn't and I..." Goku frowned deeply. "My priorities got scrambled, King Kai. Earth is my home and everyone I care about is there but Gohan and ChiChi...they were always the first thing in my mind."

Goku bit his lower lip and repeated the last line of that lullaby he could sing in his sleep " _But I'll still be here in the morning."_ He'd made that promise every time he sang that song and he could not—would not—start lying now.

Lifting his head, Goku eyed the little man. "You're North Kai, right?"

Frowning and scoffing a bit "You're my student, shouldn't you know that—"

"So you know this whole area?"

Well, it seemed he would get no apology for that misstep. Not surprising. What else could he expect from a Saiyan that was hungry when dead and saw his home planet as a good place to drop a Cell-Bomb. "Naturally. It's a wide area, Goku."

"New Namek. I just need to know New Namek."

OOO

Morning woke Gohan earlier than usual. He wasn't sure why. There was nothing unusual.

Last night...had he dreamed all that? It would be nice if the nightmares had eased up and given him something semi pleasant for once but, no. He never slept that deep. Not since that night in the time chamber.

Was...had he...

Bare feet slamming against the floor, Gohan rushed down the hall, almost letting himself fly for a moment before pushing open the door to his parents' room without a knock.

"Gohan!"

"Gah! Sorry, Mom!" Clamping his hands over his eyes, he backed out of the room, reassuring himself that no, he had not just seen his mother in her bra and underwear. "Sorry, Sorry!"

"Since when do you just barge into a room, we raised you better than that!" But there was a light dusting of amusement to her tone that Gohan could NOT relate to. This was in no way amusing.

But Mom had said we so did that mean...

"I was looking for...Dad." He slowed down at the end when he felt his mother's ki plummet. Looking around, Gohan's face turned empty. His father's side was made up, neat and folded. The door to his side of the closet was closed, his tank tops and boxers put away.

It was empty.

"Oh, sweetie. You must have been having a dream. Your dad is..." She trailed off and didn't finish. After playing pretend for the past week, she still couldn't say it. Wouldn't say it.

"Sorry, Mom." Gohan said again, voice soft. He meant it too. He could see the pain in her face and it felt like the weight the night had removed from his shoulders had doubled and slammed on his shoulders as if dropped from heaven. "It felt so real and..."

Kneeling, ChiChi pulled her son tightly into her chest. "I know." Her voice cracked but she hammered it down as she ran her hand through Gohan's hair, "I know." Gohan relished in the closeness, took in her scent and tried to focus on what was here, what was now and now what he wanted to be.

"Hey." ChiChi finally pulled away and rubbed at his tear stained cheeks. "Why don't you got get dressed and you can help me get breakfast ready, okay? Maybe we can meet up with Grandpa later, how's that?"

It was false excitement but it was far better than that emptiness. So, with an obedient nod, he left her and went back to his room. He had been clinging to his gi like a leech but with his outburst, that was last thing Mom needed. So, after a delay, he pulled on some slacks and a red tunic top. He'd worn one before the Cell Games, his white one, and it was a reminder of happier times.

At least, that was what he was hoping.

Anything but emptiness and pain. Anything but the dull throb that refused to heal.

Gohan made his way downstairs, plopped by the door and pulled on some shoes. Wlaking outside, he grabbed a bucket from the outdoor fire and headed for the river. Some fresh water was always welcome. Mom could turn it into some amazing tea.

Each step felt heavy. It was enough he nearly decided to fly, again, but if his body felt heavy, his ki felt heavier. An endless and ever present weight pulled him down, even with the fresh scent of washed earth. The rain always did that. If the bucket had been right side up, he might not have even had to walk to the river.

It was monotonous. Mindless work. One foot in front of the other. Get water, chop wood, study, explore the mountain, find Icarus, gather fruits and plants. Gohan had felt it before, mildly, when his father was missing after Namek. It hurt then too but this was different. Back then, they knew Daddy was coming home and so the stories, the memories, had helped. He and Mom were able to dwell on them to pass the waiting. Imagine the new memories that would be made when he came back.

Now, it was just a pain. A burning stab to the chest that you couldn't stop no matter what you did. Even thinking about the talk last night, Gohan's heart ached. Maybe that was why they said the dead couldn't contact their families once they passed on? Knowing and hearing and yet not being able to touch, to see, it was torturous.

Setting the bucket down just inside the house, Gohan turned to grab some wood for the stove inside when he felt the sudden rush of the displacement of air and then the ki that he had memorized over the years.

No. He shook his head. No. It was like last night. He wouldn't look. Couldn't. It was not real. It was going to fade just like the peace of last night would. It would. It would. Dad had said he didn't know if he could….said that it might not be fair…said it…

"Hey, little man!"

It was with his ears that he heard. Not in his head, not echoing with the help of some otherwordly deity. He heard it ringing through the mountain and the animals started to scatter, chirping and chattering. Excitement but no fear.

They knew the voice of Son Goku.

Dropping the wood to the ground, Gohan finally turned, the early morning light cutting into his eyes. There, standing just by the edge of the wood, was his father.

Repaired gi, not a mark on him and with a flick of his eyes upward, Gohan could see no halo above his head.

"D-Daddy?"

The Saiyan grinned widely, "'Course it's me. Sorry I'm late. Time's hard to gauge in the Other World and Moori had to get the others to get all the Dragonballs on New Namek. Even if it's a small planet, that takes a little bit!" He sniffed the air. "I didn't miss breakfast, did I?"

Gohan had not moved an inch. He just stood there, locked in place. It was him. The voice. The Ki. The lack of halo. "Daddy…are you…?"

Eyes softening, Goku remarked, "I'm sorry, little man. Sometimes I get all wrapped up in things that I forget important stuff that I shouldn't. But thanks for knocking some sense into my head. I'm home, little man." He pointed to his head, "See? No halo!" Kneeling, Goku pouted, lightly and opened his arms, "I'm sorry, Gohan. I know I'm late but…I promised I'd be here in the morning."

A promise. A promise. A promise.

Daddy always kept his promises.

"DADDY!"

Feet hit the dirt in such rapid sequence that there would likely be permanent footprints slammed into that path. The animals rushed back to their shelters as Gohan sprung at his father, arms out. If this was a lie, if this was false, let him eat dirt. He had to know. He had to—

Strong arms encased him and in an instant, Goku was at his full height again as Gohan clamped his arms around his neck and sobs erupted from his throat. The boy's hands reached up and clawed at his father's hair, searching for any sign of a hidden halo. Goku let him paw all over his head, patiently.

"Daddy." Gohan said again, though slightly more controlled this time. His vision was still horrible, and he could barely make out the mess of colors that was his father's face. "Daddy, you—you came back."

"I did." Goku pressed his forehead against his son's and smiled that warm, bright smile. "I'm sorry I put you through this Gohan. You and your Mom. Sometimes I…well, even adults can get their priorities mixed up sometimes and forget things that they should know or do things they think are right that are totally wrong. I think I did a little of all that." Resting his hand on the back of his son's head, Goku intoned, deeply. "But you…you Gohan…you are my first priority."

"Daddy?" He was starting to feel a little like a parrot just repeating that same word but Goku, as was his way, just smiled.

"I'm home Gohan. I'm home. If I remember right, we have some promises to fulfill, don't we?"

Gohan cried again, buried his face into his father's chest and held the man so tight that Goku had to loosen the grip some so he could breathe. It wasn't a dream or an illusion. Daddy had meant what he said. Daddy was home. Daddy was home. Daddy was here. Daddy was here. Daddy was here. The pain in his heart rolled and rumbled and turned into elation so intense that Gohan felt he would surely pass out any moment. But instead, he clung as tight as he could and he sobbed.

At some point, ChiChi came rushing out, nearly passed out herself and then Goku had another pair of arms around him and another person crying on him. ChiChi shouted a little more than Gohan had. Hurt, angry, but so happy to see him that Goku wondered what in the world he had been thinking, going away from all this.

This was his family. His wife, his son.

This was HIS world.

And he had to be here to protect it.

**Author's Note:**

> OOO***OOO
> 
> So, the lullaby Goku sings is called "Lullaby for the Stormy Night" by Vienna Teng
> 
> And if you want to see a gorgeous commission I had done of this scene: elfbean/art/Commission-Home-821815536


End file.
